Jailed AAP MLA breaks silence, says he voted for NC ‘in J&K’s larger interest’

JAMMU, October 25: In a major clarification amid the ongoing political turbulence following the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and J&K unit president Mehraj Malik stated that he had voted for the National Conference (NC) candidates in the “larger interest of Jammu and Kashmir,” putting to rest speculations that he had supported the BJP in the closely contested polls.

Malik, who has been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) since September 8 and is currently lodged in Kathua Jail, issued a detailed statement from prison through his party colleagues who met him recently. The statement, later shared on AAP’s official social media handles, strongly rejected allegations of his involvement in cross-voting in favour of the BJP and accused certain NC leaders of spreading misinformation for political gain.

“Even after I voted for the NC from jail—without them ever reaching out or making the slightest effort to seek my support, I am now being questioned by some of their leaders. This is the absolute height of shamelessness,” Malik said in his message.

The AAP leader explained that although the National Conference never approached him or attempted to build consensus, he still chose to cast his vote in their favour, believing it was in the broader interest of the Union Territory. “The NC was never serious about winning this fourth Rajya Sabha seat. Yet, keeping the larger interests of Jammu and Kashmir in mind, I chose to support them, thinking my vote could make a difference,” he said.

Malik’s clarification comes after a high-voltage political drama that followed the Rajya Sabha elections, the first since J&K’s reorganization in 2019 in which the ruling National Conference (NC) bagged three seats, while the BJP managed to pull off a surprise victory on the fourth. The results, which saw BJP’s Sat Sharma securing 32 votes, four more than the party’s strength, have triggered widespread debate over alleged cross-voting and political manipulation.

Taking a swipe at the NC, Malik claimed that “some among them were already compromised and had decided to side with the BJP.” He added, “Their actions and statements today only expose their hypocrisy and double standards. Those pretending to be anti-BJP are the same ones proving their friendship with Sat Sharma.”

The jailed MLA further accused the NC of indirectly helping the BJP in the upcoming Nagrota bypolls, scheduled for November 11, by fielding what he described as a strategically misplaced candidate. “By fielding a Muslim candidate in Nagrota, the NC is only helping the BJP consolidate its position. This clearly reveals where their true loyalties lie,” he asserted.

Malik also took a moral stand on what he called the “political theatre” unfolding in the Union Territory. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir can now see through this drama. History will remember who stood firm on principles and who surrendered for personal or political gains,” he remarked, adding that his support for the NC in the Rajya Sabha polls was a gesture of integrity and public responsibility, not political convenience.

As political accusations continue to fly between the NC, BJP, and AAP, Malik’s statement adds a new dimension to the post-election controversy.